Clopin King of Gypsies
by GypsyQueenFlorica
Summary: The story about a young gypsy boy and how he became the leader of the gypsies of Paris.
1. The Trouillefou Family

A family of Parisian gypsies traveled all over the continent just to keep people entertained. Now,people would say gypsies are known for stealing and pick-pocketing. But these gypsies were different. They would never steal unless they felt like they really had to. If they did,it would have been to keep the family alive. Otherwise,they would just earn money by singing,dancing or doing whatever they could to entertain anyone who cared to watch. The head man of the family was named Cato. He was a loyal husband to his wife,Magalie,and a loving father to his three children. Cato and Magalie had two daughters named Jaqueline,who was the oldest,and Nadja,the youngest. Their middle child and only son was Clopin. This story is about that boy as a matter of fact and about how he grew up to be the leader of the gypsies of Paris.

"Clopin!" Magalie called to her son who was exploring a nearby forest. "Come on back,son! Your father should be back any minute now!"

Clopin was standing by a creek and putting a little frog he caught into his pocket. "Coming!" Clopin called back to his mother having heard her voice from the distance. He ran on back to where his family had parked their wagon. He had gotten rather dirty from playing at the creek but all he had on his mind was the surprise he was going to give to his sisters.

When Clopin made it back to the camping spot,his sisters both came over to meet him and looked him over,shocked.

"Oh,Clopin! Look how dirty you are!" Nadja cried.

"Mama will not be pleased." Jaqueline said,shaking her head.

Clopin reached into his pocket and held out cupped hands. "Look what I found!" He told the girls.

He opened his hands up and revealed the slippery,green creature he caught. The frog croaked and the girls shrieked and ran behind their mother. Clopin couldn't help laughing over their reaction but lost hold of the frog as it jumped out of his hands and hopped away.

"Now,Clopin,what have I told you about scaring your sisters like that?" his mother scolded.

"Sorry,Mama." Clopin giggled sheepishly.

Magalie came over to her son and looked him over.

"Mon dieu,cheri." She cried. "Look how filthy you are! You don't want your father coming home to see you like this,do you?"

The embarrassed boy shook his head.

"You best go wash up." said Magalie. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Yes,Mama." Clopin replied and he went off to the wash tub and began to prepare a bath for himself.

"Whoa,boy!" A man's voice was soon heard. It was Cato,riding back to the camping spot on a beautiful gypsy vanner. The horse stopped,Cato dismounted and he reached into the saddle pouch pulling out a sack that surely had something good in it.

"Look! Papa's home!" cried Jaqueline.

"Papa!" Nadja cried happily,running up to her father with open arms.

"Hello,Nadja cheri." Cato said laughing as he and his daughter embraced each other.

Jaqueline and Magalie came to greet him as well.

"What's that in the bag,Papa?" Jaqueline asked.

"Ah,we're all in for a treat toni…" Cato cut off and his jolly expression suddenly changed to one of concern. "Wait a minute. Where is Clopin?"

"Oh,the boy got himself dirty,so he had to wash up." Magalie explained,gesturing to Clopin scrubbing the dirt off himself in the tub which he had filled up with water.

"Hmmm. Been catching bugs by the creek again,yes?" Cato light-heartedly commented.

"He caught a frog this time,Papa." Nadja told him.

"Is that so?" Cato chuckled.

"But Nadja and I are all clean and ready for dinner." Jaqueline said proudly.

Clopin stuck his tongue out at Jaqueline behind her back,for he felt like she was just saying that to make him feel bad.

"Well," Cato said with a laugh. "I am proud of you girls. But,we best wait for your brother until he's done bathing."

"See the trouble you caused,Clopin?" Jaqueline shouted to her brother. "Now,we all have to wait for you until we eat!"

"Now,Jaqueline,leave your brother alone." Magalie told her daughter.

"He is just a little boy after all." Cato added. "I remember when I was his age,I liked to explore the forest and got dirty while playing in a creek."

Then,Cato opened the little sack to reveal what he got. "Anyway,while I was entertaining people in the village today,I earned enough coins to buy a loaf of bread for us to eat with Mama's stew tonight and here it is." He pulled the bread out of the bag for the girls to look at.

"It looks so good." Nadja gasped.

"Oh,darling," Magalie cried happily. "What a delicious looking loaf you got there. You must have earned a good amount while entertaining those people."

Cato slipped the bread back into the bag,lay it aside and took a whiff at the stew Magalie was cooking.

"Ah,that smells wonderful,Magalie dear!" He cried.

"Why,thank you." She replied. "Cato cheri,could you go fetch our son some clean clothes and a towel while I finish making our dinner?"

"Of course." Cato said. He went inside the gypsy wagon and found a clean shirt and pants for the boy and a nice,cozy towel for him to dry off with.

Then,he came over to the tub to see if his son was done bathing. Clopin rinsed the last suds off his little body and looked up to see his father.

"Hello,Papa." He greeted him with a smile.

"Hello,son." Cato replied warmly. "Your mother wanted me to bring you these things for when you're done."

"Okay. Thank you." Clopin said cheerfully as he stepped out of the tub. "I'm done now."

"That's a good boy." Cato chuckled,wrapping the towel around the boy and giving him a playful rub on the head. "Now dry off and get dressed. Dinner is almost ready."

"Yes,Papa." Clopin giggled.

After drying off and getting dressed,Clopin went to join his family around the campfire for dinner.

As the family ate,they chatted away about exciting past,present or future events. One of them was that Clopin's eighth birthday was coming up.

"Is there anything special you would like for your birthday,son?" Cato asked Clopin.

Clopin thought for a moment and replied, "I've always wanted my very own hand puppet. I could talk to him whenever I feel lonely or sad and need a friend. And I can entertain children with him when I get older."

"You know what I hope for?" Jaqueline teased. "For you to grow up and act your age."

She and Nadja giggled but Clopin glared at Jaqueline.

"You're not very mature yourself!" Clopin cried.

"Alright! Alright!" cried Cato. "Children,no fighting! Jaqueline,be nice to your brother."

"Sorry,Papa." Jaqueline giggled. "I didn't mean any harm."

The family continued eating and excitedly chatting away,all except Clopin. Though his sister was just kidding with him,her comment still worried him. Hence,he remained quiet through the rest of dinnertime.

Later that night,as an every night routine,Magalie and Cato would tuck their children in,kiss them and whisper,"We love you." When Cato had come to Clopin's bed to do so however,he noticed there were tears in the boy's eyes.

"Clopin,my boy,what is wrong?" Cato asked gently. "We hardly ever see you like this. You're usually so happy."

"Jaqueline's right." Clopin whimpered. "I'll never grow up."

"I was just kidding,Clopin." Jaqueline said to him from her bed. "But I'm sorry I hurt your feelings."

"You are still very young,Clopin." Magalie said. "Why does this bother you so?"

"I don't think I'll ever be good at looking after our family. Like you are,Papa." Clopin replied sniffling.

"That's not true,son." Cato told him. "You'll grow up to be more responsible and mature. Yet,you could still stay young at heart if you want to. But for now,you're still just a child and you have a lot more of your life ahead of you."

"So,just be happy the way you are,cheri." Magalie added,drying the tears out of her son's eyes. "And remember,even when you do grow up,you'll always be our little boy. "

Clopin looked up at his parents with his big brown eyes,smiled and nodded in understanding. Then,Magalie and Cato both gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered,"We love you." And as Clopin lay down in his warm bed,his mother began to sing the children a lullaby as they drifted contently off to sleep. Once the children were asleep,Magalie and Cato would settle down into their own bed and go to sleep themselves.


	2. The Flowers

One day, Cato decided to take Clopin with him into the city while Magalie stayed by the caravan with the girls. The city of Paris was bustling and full of life.

"Now, Clopin," Cato said to his son. "Be sure to stay close by. I don't want you getting into trouble."

"Yes, Papa." Replied Clopin.

The cheerful little boy skipped along as he kept up with his father. Cato soon found a place to perform in front of a tavern. He had a lute strapped to his back and turned it around to start playing it. He played a lively tune that quickly formed a crowd of people. They all started clapping along to the music and Clopin was feeling so happy that he started to dance around, doing cartwheels and back flips. Then, the boy held his hand out to one of the children.

"Come dance with me!" Clopin laughed.

The other boy shyly took Clopin by the hand and they started to dance. A little girl soon joined in the fun and pretty soon, there were a bunch of children dancing in a circle. The rest of the throng continued to laugh and clap along with the music. Once Cato had finished the jolly song, everyone cheered and applauded. Suddenly Clopin spotted a cat wandering through the cobblestone streets with a fish in its mouth. Clopin moved forward to follow it.

"Clopin," Cato called to his son as he went to follow the cat. "Don't go too far!"

"I won't, Papa. I'll be right back." Clopin called back.

Clopin kept following the cat and watched it as it disappeared into a dark alley to eat its fish. Nearby, the young gypsy spotted a cart where a woman was selling flowers. Clopin noticed one of the boquets was one of bright yellow and white daisies. Daisies were his mother's favorite type of flower.

The little boy frolicked up to the cart and asked, "Excuse me, Madame? May I have that boquet of daisies?"

"What for?" The woman asked with a skeptical look on her face.

"For my mama." Clopin said with a sweet smile.

"Are you going to pay for it?" Asked the lady.

"Do I have to?" Asked the boy.

"Yes."

"But I don't have any money."

"Then I'm afraid you can't have them. Now run along."

Clopin's heart sank. The lady turned the other way to another customer which luckily distracted her. Clopin knew stealing wasn't right but sometimes, life being as hard as it was, it was necessary and he believed this was a necessary time since it was for his mother after all. So without the lady noticing, Clopin quickly and quietly snatched the daisy boquet from the cart and quickly ran back to his father, leaving a trail of petals in his excitement.

"Papa! Papa!" Clopin cried eagerly as he ran up to his father.

Cato stopped playing his lute and looked at his son. "Clopin, you mustn't interrupt me while I'm performing." He said with a hint of frustration in his voice. "Now what is it?"

"Look at the pretty flowers I got for Mama." Clopin said happily holding up the boquet.

The innocent little gypsy expected a positive reaction from his father. But instead, Cato's face was wearing a worried expression.

Clopin was puzzled. "What's wrong, Papa? Don't you like them?"

"Oh, yes, I do, Clopin. They are beautiful." Cato answered. "But… Did you pay for them?"

"Well, I…" Clopin felt fear grab at his heart. He looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet. He didn't want to get in trouble but he knew he shouldn't lie to his father. Soon he looked back up at Cato and finally confessed in a small, sad squeak, "….No."

The crowd gasped.

Before either gypsy could say another word, a woman's voice was heard shrieking, "Thief!"

The flower lady was pointing toward Clopin and everyone glared at the frightened little boy.

"I'm sorry." Clopin cried. "I didn't mean any harm."

A tall man with short brown hair stepped through the crowd.

"Monsieur Thibault!" Someone cried out.

Though Thibault wasn't a figure of authority, he was fairly well known in Paris. He was a pushy and condescending man who always thought his opinion was the best of all and he had a very low opinion of gypsies. All eyes in the crowd looked toward Thibault and Clopin was so scared that he hid behind Cato.

"Papa, I'm sorry." He whispered to Cato. "Please, tell them I won't do it again. I didn't know it would get me in trouble."

"What's all the commotion?" Thibault shouted.

"Oh, please, monsieur…" Cato began.

But Thibault interrupted. "Have a little thief on our hands, do we?" He said looking at poor little Clopin with an expression that intimidated the boy so much that he covered his face in his little hands.

"No, please." Cato continued to stand up for his son. "It's my fault. I should have kept a better eye on him. Besides, he only wanted those flowers to give to his mother. Go easy on him. He's just a child."

Then, Cato got out a small bag of coins. "How much are those flowers? I'd be happy to pay for them."

"It's too late for that!" Thibault shouted as he was planning to turn the boy and his father in to the authorities. But his plan was foiled.

"No, it isn't." Said a gentle voice. Through the crowd stepped the flower woman. She came up to speak to Cato. "Forgive me,Monsieur. I have overreacted. My flowers are only two shillings a bunch."

"Thank you,Madame." Cato said handing her two coins.

"My pleasure." The woman said kindly. "And thank you for your purchase."

The flower woman then turned to Thibault and said, "Now, why don't you be on your way,Thibault. You'll think twice before trying to arrest a child."

Clopin was relieved to know the flower lady was kinder than he thought at first.

"B-but…" Thibault tried to speak but the woman just ignored him and went back to her cart. The enraged man growled as the crowd dispersed along with Cato and Clopin.

"Those gypsies will pay." The hateful Thibault said under his breath.

"Let's head on home now, son." Cato said to Clopin. "Your mother probably might have supper ready by the time we get back."

"I hope she'll like these flowers I picked for her." Clopin said holding on to the boquet.

"I'm sure she will." Cato said with a smile.

The two started down the road that led to their place as the sun was starting to set.

"Papa?" Clopin said looking up at his father. "I'm sorry about today. I guess I should have asked you before getting these flowers."

"It's alright, son." Cato replied gently. "It was for a good cause. I'm just relieved nothing bad happened to you. Your mama and I love you so much and we would be very heartbroken to lose our only son."

Clopin lowered his head a little. "I guess I won't be good enough to take care of our family like you do."

"But of course you will." Cato reassured him. "If it's what you really hope for, I'm sure you'll have what it takes. Maybe not right now but someday, you will. Who knows? You might even have your own wife and children someday."

Cato chuckled a bit. Clopin also chuckled though unsure about the whole idea of marrying someone, being as young as he was.

"But remember, Clopin," Cato continued. "One day, I won't be here and it'll be up to you to be the man of the family. Your mother and sisters will be counting on you. I know I can count on you, too. You might even become the leader of a whole clan of gypsies."

"Tee hee." Clopin giggled. His father's words had cheered him up.

Cato, having reached the right destination, dismounted his horse and lifted his son off the saddle. They both laughed.

"I love you, Papa." Clopin said, giving his father a hug.

"I love you, too, son." Cato replied and gently set him down as they were getting closer to their wagon.

Cato walked his horse with the reins and watched happily as his son ran toward the gypsy wagon to his mother.

"Mama, look what I got!" Clopin cried out excitedly as he ran up to Magalie and handed her the boquet. "These are for you."

Magalie gasped and beamed happily at the beautiful flowers.

"Daisies! My favorite!" She cried, taking the boquet and smelling it. "Oh, Clopin, my sweet boy! Thank you."

She lifted Clopin up, hugged him and gently kissed his cheek. Clopin blushed and rubbed his cheek a little. Jaqueline and Nadja laughed.

"Where is your papa, little one?" Magalie asked the boy.

"Right here." Cato answered, approaching the wagon and tying the horse's reins to a wooden post.

"Papa!" Jaqueline and Nadja cried happily, running up to hug Cato.

"Clopin and I had quite an adventure today." Cato laughed.

"Well, why don't you tell us all about it?" Magalie said.

Clopin's heart suddenly jumped in fear. His sisters noticed the nervous look on his face.

"You got yourself into trouble again, didn't you, Clopin?" Nadja asked skeptically.

"You're always getting into trouble." Jaqueline said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, no matter!" Magalie laughed. "I just hope you two had a good time."

Clopin let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"We sure have, haven't we, Clopin?" Cato asked, looking at his son.

"Oh,yes!" Clopin said with a nod.

So, the family of gypsies continued to their nightly routines; they sat down to have supper together, then the children would get comfortable in their little beds and have their parents kiss them good night followed by a soft "We love you." And the mother would sing a lullaby to which the children would drift peacefully off to sleep. After that, the parents would get into their own bed to sleep. The family seemed happy for the moment, but little did any of them know that they were to have a rude awakening the next morning.


	3. Clopin Meets Marcel

The sun was starting to rise and little Clopin was awaken by the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. The boy rubbed his eyes, yawned, stretched, and smiled. It was the beginning of a brand new day. But just when he got up and ready to greet a beautiful morning, he saw a group of soldiers in the distance getting ready to aim for the family. Frightened, Clopin started shaking his parents and sisters awake.

"Wake up," he whispered frantically. "Wake up!"

Cato groaned and turned over to face his son. "What is it, Clopin?" he asked in a tired voice.

But before Clopin could answer, the sounds of men shouting and armor clanking filled the air. The gypsy family all shot their heads up and observed in horror as a stampede of soldiers came charging their way.

"Everybody, get up!" Cato cried to his family. "We have to get out of here. The sooner, the better. Hurry!"

As the soldiers got closer and closer, Cato said to his wife, "Magalie, you get the children and yourself to safety. I'll hold the soldiers off."

"But, darling…" Magalie tried to object. But, her husband cut her off.

"NOW!" Cato insisted.

The gypsy woman took her husband's advice and ran off into the forest with the children…all except Clopin. The boy jumped in front of his father, trying to protect him.

"Clopin," Cato demanded. "Go with your mother and sisters!"

But Clopin refused, saying, "No, Papa! I won't leave you!"

The soldiers were gaining on them.

"Don't worry about me!" Cato cried. "You must save yourself! Now, go!"

Just then, a soldier came up right behind Cato and knocked him down with a sword. Clopin jumped back in fear. The soldiers held Cato's head down on a tree stump. And suddenly, riding on his horse, Thibault made his appearance. Due to what happened the previous day, Clopin was terrified of Thibault and ran off into the forest, dreading what was going to happen to his poor papa.

"Looks like we're going to have to take care of this one first," Thibault said. "And save the little one for last."

Hiding behind the closest, thickest tree he could find, Clopin watched from afar and listened as Thibault continued, "Thought you could get away that easily, eh, gypsy? Well, as far as I'm concerned, you are still guilty of thievery and the sentence is death."

"NO!" Clopin shrieked.

He was just about to leap to the rescue but, much to his dismay, the soldier had already beheaded Cato with a sword. It was just too much for Clopin to take. He covered his face in shame. It was too late now. His father was dead. Thibault ordered some soldiers to put the gypsy man's head and body into a large sack and throw it into the sea. While those soldiers obeyed that order, some other soldiers set the gypsy caravan on fire, and the others tied up Cato's horse and harshly tugged him away. Luckily for the little gypsy's life, Thibault was too wrapped up in killing Cato to pay attention to where Clopin's cry came from.

"Now, if I could just find the rest of those gypsies," Thibault said to himself. "I shall kill them off as well, starting with that little thief."

Once Thibault and the soldiers had left and it was safe to come out, Clopin came out of his hiding place and ran towards the burning wagon. There was one thing of his father's that the soldier's forgot: his favorite hat, a purple one with a yellow plume. Clopin knelt down where the hat lay, picked it up, and held it to his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Papa," Clopin whispered, his eyes welling up with tears. "I didn't mean for this to happen to you."

The heart broken gypsy boy sat there for a minute or two, sobbing. After taking that time, he got up, wiped his tears away, put his father's hat on, he bravely set out to find his mother and sisters. He knew there could be dangers ahead but he was determined to find his family and continue to care for and protect them just as his father did.

For hours, the little boy walked, calling, "Mama! Jaqueline! Nadja! Where are you?"

He called and called til his poor throat was sore. Yet he continued walking and searching until, finally, he had reached the city of Paris. His legs were so tired out from the walking that he could not move on. He sat down in a dark corner between two barrels and buried his face under his father's hat. What if his mother and sisters had been captured and killed, too? Filled with fear and shame, the boy no longer cared if Thibault found him. If his family was going to die, he wanted to die, too. What was the point in letting himself live if he couldn't even keep his family safe from the cruel jaws of death? Clopin just lay there, crying so hard that his eyes started to hurt. But, before too long, he was found by another gypsy man.

"Bonjour, little one," the man said.

Clopin looked up to see a jolly-looking man in brightly colored clothes and a red beard.

"Who…who are you?" Clopin asked.

"I am Marcel, the leader of the gypsies of Paris, " the gypsy answered. "So, tell me, what seems to be troubling you?"

"I-I'm lost," Clopin answered. "And I'm hungry and tired…and I just saw a bunch of soldiers kill my papa."

Marcel's face fell, sympathetically, as he kept on listening.

"I've been wandering around for such a long time looking for the rest of my family…" Clopin paused through sniffles and then continued, "I'm so scared! What if they were killed, too? I would do anything just to see my mother and sisters again."

Marcel lay a hand on the boy's shoulder, saying softly, "Hush now, lad. Do not despair. Because, I think I know where they might be."

Clopin could feel his heart being lifted at those words. "Really?"

"I think so," Marcel answered. "Earlier, I met this woman and her two girls. They were looking for a young boy named Clopin."

Clopin grew so excited and cried happily, "Clopin? That's my name! It's them! It has to be them!"

Marcel smiled. "Well, if that's the case, you're in luck, my little friend. You're family is waiting for you at the Court of Miracles, our gypsy sanctuary."

"Will you take me to them?" Clopin asked giddily, jumping up and down in his excitement. "Please, please, please?

"Of course, I will," Marcel laughed.

"Hooray!" Clopin shouted. "Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure," Marcel replied.

So, Clopin got on Marcel's back and the gypsy leader carried him off to the place he would soon call his new home.

To be continued…


	4. Clopin's New Home

Marcel traveled with Clopin on his shoulders through the city and over the bridge overlooking the Seine until finally they came to an old cemetery. Clopin had fallen asleep. But then, Marcel knocked on a stone and another gypsy came and opened the passage to their hideaway. The sound of the stone turning over woke Clopin up.

"Oh, Marcel," the other gypsy said. "It's you. And who have you there on your back?"

"This is Clopin," the gypsy leader answered. "This little boy is looking for his family and I believe we have them there."

"Is this your where your hideaway is?" Clopin asked as they went down a dark stair case leading to the catacombs.

"Yes," Marcel whispered. "We're almost there."

With the fire of a torch lighting their way, the gypsies wandered through the dark catacombs. There were skellitons lying against the walls, spiders and mice crawling around every corner, and even a few bats hanging on the ceiling. This place was kind of creepy but Clopin figured he would get used to it. But pretty soon, from the darkness came a light growing closer and closer as they approached the Court of Miracles.

Then, Marcel let the boy off his shoulders, smiled warmly, and said, "My boy, welcome to the Court of Miracles!"

Clopin beamed at the place. Who would have thought such a beautiful, colorful place could be found deep within a dark crypt? There were so many gypsies everywhere and they all looked so happy and at home. There were a bunch of other kids for him to play with. There was music and laughter filling the air. Just at first glimpse, Clopin knew he was going to love this place.

Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice calling from behind him followed by the excited screams of two little girls. "Clopin! Clopin!"

"Look, Clopin!" Marcel cried happily.

Clopin spun around to see his mother and sisters running toward him.

"Jaqueline! Nadja! Mama!" Clopin sprinted toward his mother, his arms spread out.

Magalie's eyes were flooded with tears as she knelt down and held her arms open for her little boy. "Oh, Clopin!" She cried. "My baby!"

"Mama!" Clopin cried as he leapt straight into his mother's warm, loving arms. "I was so worried about you. I'm so glad you're all safe."

"We're so glad to have you back, son." Magalie sobbed happily.

"Clopin!" Nadja cried, her eyes also welling up with tears.

"We missed you," Jaqueline said, wrapping her arms around her little brother.

Then, Nadja joined in the group hug.

"Where were you?" Nadja asked. "You had us so worried."

"So, what's new?" Jaqueline scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Clopin gave his older sister a playful shove as a retort. They all giggled. They were too happy to see each other to do any finger pointing at the moment.

"Wait a minute," Jaqueline suddenly noticed. "Where's Papa?"

Clopin's happy look suddenly turned to a sad one. He looked down at his feet, not sure if he could tell them what had happened.

"Isn't that his hat you're wearing?" Nadja pointed out.

Clopin couldn't hold his tears back as he clutched the hat tightly and held it to his chest.

"What happened?" Jaqueline cried in alarm.

Magalie noticed her son's actions and rushed to his side.

"Don't tell me," she said quietly, her face looking painfully upset.

Knowing they would have to hear the terrible news sooner or later, Clopin swallowed a lump in his throat and whimpered, "Papa's dead."

Magalie and the girls gasped in horror. It was just as they feared.

"I'm sorry," Clopin bawled. "I wish I could have saved him. I tried to but I couldn't. It's my fault. I'm a coward."

"No, silly," Magalie chuckled sadly.

"So, that's why you were far behind us," Jaqueline cried. "You just had to put yourself in danger just to save Papa. You could've been killed yourself."

"But, I didn't want Papa to die," Clopin wailed.

"We know, sweetheart," Magalie said gently. "Your father was a good man and we will all miss him very much. You didn't have to endanger yourself though. You're just a child."

Marcel, having heard the whole conversation, stepped in and added, "But, a very brave child."

"Either very brave or very crazy," Jaqueline said.

"Maybe even both," Nadja said with a small giggle.

Magalie smiled warmly and chuckled.

"Either way," she said, stroking her son's head. "Clopin is definitely not a coward. Far from it! I'm sure he'll grow up to be just as brave, loyal, and strong as Papa was."

Clopin broke into a smile at his mother's encouraging words.

Marcel didn't know Cato, but just the same, he took off his hat in respect, whispering, "May the dearly departed father of these children rest in peace."

Then, he looked at Magalie and said, "Well, Madame Trouillefou, since you and your children seem to have nowhere to go after your husband had been cruelly killed by those soldiers, perhaps you could consider living here for now on?"

Before Marcel could say another word Magalie looked up and beamed at him, crying, "Do you really mean that? You'd give us a home here?"

"Well, yes, if you wish to stay here," Marcel continued. "You're more than welcome."

"Oh, thank you, Marcel," Magalie replied happily. "We'd love to live here."

The children smiled in agreement.

"I guess, it's settled then," Marcel said, smiling. "So, welcome to your new home, mis amies."

"Hooray!" Jaqueline, Nadja, and Clopin all cheered in unison.

So, the family settled into their new home with the other gypsies. Even throughout the fun times they had there, they would never forget Cato. But, they tried to stay optimistic. That's what Cato would have wanted for his family than for them to mourn his death the rest of their lives. The Court of Miracles was such an amazing place and every night was like a party. And pretty soon, they would have a party to celebrate Clopin's eighth birthday.

To be continued….


	5. Growing Up

The months passed and finally, Clopin's birthday had arrived. The Court of Miracles was in full swing. Music filled the air. The place was decorated with colorful balloons, streamers, and lanterns. Clopin and the other gypsy children were laughing and playing while Magalie, Marcel, and some other adults were preparing the cake and presents.

"It's time to start the party!" Marcel soon announced.

"We're coming!" Clopin cried out, excitedly, as he came running with Nadja, Jaqueline, and his new friend, a boy named Denis.

After enjoying some delicious cake, they all gathered around to watch Clopin receive his presents.

First, Magalie came forward to hand a little package to her son, saying, "Here's something special I made for you, son. I had some help from your father, of course. Here you go, cheri."

The beaming little boy took the present and excitedly opened it. It was an adorable little hand puppet that looked just like the spitting image of his father.

"It looks just like Papa!" Clopin laughed.

"Why, yes," his mother replied. "Your father was, in fact, the inspiration. So, even though your real papa is gone, this puppet will be here for you whenever you need a friend…or even a father… to talk to."

Clopin was almost in tears but he was too happy to start crying during his birthday party. So, he just swung his arms around his mother and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Mama," Clopin said. "I will treasure him forever."

"Happy birthday, my darling," Magalie said gently.

Next, he received a sewing kit from his Aunt Marie. At first, he was skeptical.

"Isn't sewing for girls?" Clopin asked.

"Clopin, be polite!" his mother hissed.

But Aunt Marie just laughed and said, "Boys can sew, too, cheri. And if you would like to make your own puppets someday, you're going to need to know how to sew. Don't worry. I can teach you."

Clopin smiled and said, "Okay. Thank you, Aunt Marie."

The next present was a carving knife from Uncle Uberto, Aunt Marie's husband.

"Wow!" Clopin cried, admiring the tool.

Aunt Marie grew worried. "But, dear, don't you think he's a little young to…"

Uncle Uberto affectionately pressed a finger to his wife's lips and replied, "Fret not, cheri. If he's old enough to learn to sew, he's old enough to learn how to carve wood, too."

"Thank you, Uncle Uberto!" Clopin said, smiling up at his uncle.

"You're welcome, son," Uberto said warmly.

Then, it was Marcel's turn to give his gift to the boy.

"Now, listen, Clopin," Marcel said softly. "This thing I'm about to give you is very special and must not be put in the wrong hands. So, you must remember to take very good care of it. Understand?"

Clopin nodded.

Just then, Marcel pulled out a woven necklace from beneath his tunic and handed it to Clopin.

"Ooh!" Clopin cooed. "What is it?"

"It's a map to our hiding place," Marcel explained. "Just remember, when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand."

"When you wear this woven band," Clopin repeated quietly. "You hold the city in your hand."

"Now, Clopin," Magalie said gently, reminding her son of his manners. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Marcel," Clopin said. "I love it and I'll take very good care of it, I promise."

Marcel gave Clopin a loving pat on the head. "That's a good boy," He chuckled.

The last present Clopin received was from his friend, Denis. Denis was about the same age as Nadja and had a habit of bringing home lost, sick, hurt, or homeless animals, determined to take care of them, nurse them back to health, or give them a good home if needed. His father was in charge of the stables in the Court of Miracles and one of the horses had recently given birth to a newborn foal. The foal was now a few months old and Denis and his father agreed that she would make a wonderful birthday present.

Denis came to his friend and said, "Clopin, my papa and I have a special surprise for you. Close your eyes and we'll get it out for you."

Clopin did as he was told and closed his eyes. Denis excitedly ran to his father and asked him to bring out the foal which he did.

"You can open your eyes now, Clopin," Denis's father exclaimed.

Clopin opened his eyes and there standing in front of him was the cutest baby horse he'd ever seen. She was grey with white on her muzzle and around her hooves and had a long, flowing white mane and tail that shone like moonlight. The foal whinnied a greeting to her new friend.

A huge smile broadened on Clopin's little face. "For me?"

Denis nodded. "She's all yours."

Clopin hugged his friend and squealed with delight, "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I love her and I'll take good care of her."

Then, Clopin quietly approached the beautiful filly and said gently, "We're gonna be great friends, aren't we, girl?"

The little foal snorted contentedly and rubbed her muzzle up to the boy. Clopin giggled and gave the filly a hug.

"Awwwww!" All the other gypsies sighed over the adorable sight.

"So, Clopin," Magalie asked. "What are you going to name your new horse?"

Clopin stared at the foal's beautiful, shiny mane for a few seconds and then looked up to his mother and answered, "Luna."

Though the years, Clopin loved, cherished, and cared for the presents that were given to him on his eighth birthday. He loved playing with the hand puppet his mother gave him and soon learned how to make his own puppets with the help of Aunt Marie's knowledge of sewing and the experience he gained in wood carving from Uncle Uberto. Plus, he attempted making other things with the skills he learned and everyone was impressed with how talented he was turning out to be.

Before too long, Clopin had reached the age of thirteen. His high little voice had deepened and matured and he was already growing a tiny bit of stubble on his chin. As for Luna, she had also grown bigger and stronger and would gladly pull a wagon for her beloved master anytime if needed.

Clopin was an excellent puppeteer and enjoyed entertaining the younger gypsies with stories, songs, and, of course, his puppets. He'd started copying the faces of not only the people he knew in the Court of Miracles but also some people he recognized within the city of Paris. Clopin had become one of the most talented gypsies you could ever meet, being a good puppeteer, singer, dancer, acrobat, artist, musician, and storyteller. He loved children and was loved by all the children who knew him.

One evening, Clopin was outside the hideaway, sitting under a tree and watching the sunset. In the distance, he could hear the ringing of the church bells of the Notre Dame cathedral. (Quasimodo wasn't around yet but somebody had to be ringing the bells before.) It was such a beautiful sound that Clopin just wanted to make up a song about it. So, from his tunic, he pulled out a wooden flute he had carved himself, raised the instrument to his lips, and tried playing a few notes to see if he could pick out a melody for his song.

"Clopin," a young girl's voice was soon heard behind him. Clopin set the flute down on his lap and turned to see Nadja coming his way. "Mama wanted me to come and get you. It's about time for dinner."

"Alright," Clopin replied, standing up and slipping his flute back into his pocket.

"What was that beautiful tune you were playing, mon frère?" Nadja asked sweetly.

"Oh, just a little tune I made up," Clopin explained. "I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to call it yet. But, I plan for it to be a song about the bells of Notre Dame… Wait! That's it! The Bells of Notre Dame! That's what I'll call it! Now, if I could only pick out the right lyrics for it."

"You can worry about that later," Nadja giggled. "Now, let's go eat before the food gets cold."

Clopin followed his little sister down the entrance to the catacombs and the two went to join the other gypsies in enjoying a hearty meal.

To be continued….


End file.
